My Story
by scarlettfire
Summary: How she met him. AU AH EXB


**AN: Just something i've been thinking about. They're a little OOC.**

**Disclaimer: Stephine Meyer owns these beautiful creations. **

My Story

I've been thinking about where exactly to begin, there's a lot of options, some a tad more obvious than others, but I've finally settled on that day, the first meeting.

I'd been walking all day, they moved the classroom for one of my classes to half way across campus without letting us know until this morning. I was tired and my teachers had assigned a shit load of homework, my bag was abnormally heavy. Now I don't normally sit next to strangers, I have a sort of phobia, I remember stranger danger mom, be happy, but I was really wiped, and, as I came up to him, he looked up.

It's hard to explain what I felt when I saw him, it was like I somehow trusted this person I've never met. So I sat.

"Hi." was all he said with a small nod. From this moment on there are no words to explain my actions other than crazy and stupid. So I won't try to rationalize it, it would be a waste of words.

"Hello." I said back to him. We didn't say anything else for a while, but I couldn't help but look at him. He was tall and lanky, pale skinned with a shock of copper hair. His clothes weren't the most stylish in fact they were sorta geeky, but it worked for him. He looks a little broody, like he's having a bad day or something. He must of felt my stare, because he looked up at me. My gaze was immediately drawn to his eyes, a vibrant green. I'd never seen anyone like that before in real life, he was so much better than anyone else I'd ever met.

"What?" he said. I just looked at him.

"Sorry." I say. I turn away. By this time I know that I've rested enough but I can't bring myself to get up. I feel drawn to him, he, however, obviously doesn't notice as he stood and walked away just then. I watched him go, his walk is, weird. Weird for the way he looks, he's got an athletic sort of walk. A little bouncy, like he's always stretching a little, like he's always ready to run. Then again, maybe not so weird. He does look geeky, he was probably playground pulverized. I instantly feel sympathy and, even, some very irrational protectiveness. A little after that I make myself leave.

For the next few weeks, I don't think of him at all, well, after other information scoots him from my head.

As usual I'm perpetually getting myself lost, it's no surprise I'm constantly having to call my friends at random times. And for that, all I can say is: Thank God for Alice. She's never annoyed when I call her in the middle of the day, or a class, and ask her to help me. One of my teachers, likes to change his classroom all the time, it was this teacher that was constantly sending me into hysterics. I don't like being lost, go figure, so I call my friends to help me.

Today I managed to loose myself right before a class I had a HUGE test in. I managed to get there a few milliseconds early, a.k.a. at the last possible second before I'm late, thanks to the great friend that is Alice.

"Bella, you gotta get a map." Alice said with a laugh when we're getting lunch later. She wasn't in class today when I called her, which was good. Not that it would matter that much, she can get away with anything. Every single teacher, or person for that matter, she's ever met has loved her to pieces.

"I know, I know. I just always forget." I answer. "Besides, why get a piece of paper I can't read. I have the Human Map." I make her sound like a super hero.

"Oh, so long as I get a hot sidekick."

"Sure, Alice, whatever you want."

"He's blond and wears eyeliner." Alice tells me.

"Got someone in mind?" I tease.

"Yes, or no." She doesn't want to tell me.

"I bet I know who it is." I say with a straight face. She's been crushing on Jasper Whitlock for most of the semester.

"Oh shut it little lost girl." She's red, so I stop. It's really hard to make her blush, so she must really like him. Anyway, I owe her and every time I beg her to let me do something for her, she refuses. Self-righteous. That or she's saving up my favors for something big. I'm inclined to think of the self-righteous, due to fear. Alice can think of some crazy shit given the time.

When I do see mystery-bench-boy again, no one is with me. I hadn't thought of him at all since our first meeting, well, after a few days. However, that changes the moment he comes into my line of vision.

Thing is, I almost didn't see him, it makes me wonder what would of happened if I hadn't. I was just going into some random café, in dire need of a caffeine fix. I had just paid for my frappichino, the guy at the counter was horribly rude. I almost had to demand he got the damn manager or I was coming back there. He finally got the I'm-so-not-in-the-mood-to-deal-with-your-antics-bucko vibe I was giving off in waves. I turned around to look anywhere else and there he was.

I recognized him immediately, which is weird because I have a horrible memory for faces, and well, a lot of things in general. But like I said, I'm not going to try and explain myself. I froze at the sight of him. Once again, my stare drew his attention.

"Hello." I try not to stutter. He just looks at me. "I'm Bella." I blurt. More staring. Just when I'm thinking of bolting, he speaks.

"You look familiar."

'His voice is deep, how'd I miss that?' I think. "I've met you before." I offer lamely.

"Well then, nice to met you again, Bella. Please excuse me but I have to go now. Have a good day." Then he gives me a slight smile, and my heart does a back flip. He is engraved in my mind and I don't even know his name.

I visit that café everyday, just so I might see him again. I even learn rude guys name, Emmett, and that he was just having a bad day. He's actually not that bad. Also, his girlfriend, Rosalie, is a friend of Jasper's. I store that little factlet away for further investigation.

At first I lie to myself, nearly convince myself that I want to be incognito, but eventually I accept that I'm an obsessed psycho stalker. I want to know who he is.

I'm even dreaming about this guy I've met, for what, ten minutes total? The little bits of his voice that I heard are enough fuel for my imagination to run wild on. I'll leave out the dream-tails cause, well, they're just embarrassing.

He doesn't seem inclined to help me in my quest to find him. He doesn't show up at all at the café. I start thinking if maybe he was just randomly there too, but how often does that happen. Two people in the same place at once, after randomly picking a place to be. Not after the bench thing. It's too random. Or maybe, he just comes when I'm not here, I'm missing him or something. This isn't his regular place.

My friends have been wondering why the hell I'm always in this café. The coffee isn't even that good. I won't tell them I'm stalking some guy I met on a bench that I don't know the name of. Too crazy.

They do have suspicions. Alice comes the closest, but she thinks I actually MET the guy there, as in, he's there TOO. Wrong!!! Big fat glaring wrong. Apparently, crazy-psycho-stalkers don't get their wishes, who knew?

It's two weeks later that I finally see him again. Ironically, it's not at the café. No, when I see him again its in one of the last places I'd thought he'd be. On the way to one of my classes.

I had forgotten what day of the week it was because like I said, I have a horrible memory for that sort of thing, also, I just woke up, not that it's much of a excuse. So I ended up going to my Literature Analysis class that I would have the next morning. It was when I was walking down the hall that I noticed the obvious lack of other people, immediately I felt stupid. I pulled out my phone, and yup. Wrong day! Way to go Bella!!! HIP-HIP-HOARY DUMBASS!!!

I turned around so I could head back to my dorm. I was watching my feet, yup say hello Klutzilla, wave to the good people, thinking of nothing other than my own stupidity.

So of course I didn't notice the door down the hall opening or the stream of people emerging from it. I also didn't notice him, that is until I crashed into him knocking us both to the ground in a tangled heap.

I snapped out of my reverie instantly. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I spurt as I scramble to my feet, only then do I take notice of who exactly this is that I've knocked down. I become even more hysterical. I babble an unintelligible string of what I think are apologies or maybe just me hyperventilating, either way it was not a very pretty sight.

"Hey, calm down, it's Bella right?" I must have nodded or something, cause he continued. "It's alright Bella, I'm fine, no need to apologize, it was an accident." he says, his words have the desired effect. I calm down. He has superpowers I swear. Normally, once I get going, I don't stop till I'm to tired to care anymore. "Hey, listen if your free right now let me get you a coffee." he offers, and before I know it I'm being whisked away by the obsession I've been stalking.

I guess I must of still seemed a little out of it, because he does the ordering. He's brought me to this tiny little coffee cart just outside the building. There's a low wall close by that seems like a popular sitting place judging from the dozen or so people on it. There's a big free spot so I sit.

He gets me a regular coffee, which I actually prefer when I'm not in a coffee craze. He brings over a bunch of cream and sugar from the coffee cart. "I wasn't sure how you like it." he says sheepishly by way of explanation as he hands me my drink and takes a seat next to me on the low wall.

"Thanks." I say, taking four of the sugars and dumping them into my cup normally I use twice that but I didn't want to seem like a pig or gross him out. I take a sip.

"What? No cream to go with your sugar coma?" he asks. I shake my head.

"Hey, um, sorry about freaking out on you back there." I say studying my feet, I should have worn different shoes. I'm sure my hair's a mess and I didn't put on any make up cause I woke up late, and then. Oh man, not how I wanted this to go.

"It's alright Bella." he says. I like it when he says my name, it sounds like something different when he does. Not like when everyone else says it.

"And I want to pay you back for the coffee so just tell me how much it was." I continue.

"Na uh, I'm not letting you pay for something I offered." he interrupts.

"I will pay you back because I'm very stubborn when I set my mind to something and I always try to do what I say I will and I..."

"Bella." he cut me off. I finally look at him and I can't look away. His eyes are such a gorgeous green. I'm glad he doesn't wear glasses, then I couldn't see them so well. "If you want to pay me back so badly then just think of this as our first date. And so I insist that I pay because it would be rude if I didn't as I am somewhat traditional in that respect." His words shut me up pretty quick. "That is if your not seeing anyone, if you are then I'm going to be incredibly embarrassed." A hint of that predicted embarrassment trickles into his deep voice.

Somehow my own voice manages to work. "No, I'm single." I say.

"Phew that's a relief." he sighs and gives me a smile that just about stops my heart. Then I realize something.

"Um, what time is it?" I ask, yes I forgot I have a cell-phone, my brain isn't exactly the best place to store that kind of knowledge.

"Ten fifteen." he answers.

"Oh crap I'm gonna be late. Sorry, but I have to go." I stand and head off in the direction of my class. It's the right one this time, YAY ME!!!

He follows. "Bella, do you want to go out with me this Saturday?" he asks. I just smile and nod, I can almost feel myself to start to hyperventilate again. "I'll pick you up at seven, just tell me your room number."

"I'm in thirteen in the old dorms." I said.

"You're a freshmen." he asks in disbelief. I have to laugh at the stupid look on the handsome yet slightly nerdy face that has been haunting me for a fortnight.

"No." I say. "I just like old things, besides it's really close to most of my classes. I'm graduating next year." It took some serious arranging to get it. Luckily the girl it was assigned to was seriously superstitious. I struck a deal with her and then the dean of housing. Again, it took some serous work.

"Oh, that would mean you're my age then, which would also explain why I never see you around much." It was then that I realized that we had stopped walking.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, time." I almost pounced on his watch arm. Ten twenty five. "Damn!" I yell, and run away screaming sorry at him as I go. I'm pretty sure I hear him laughing. Amazingly, I manage to get into my class with minimal disruption. The professor only raised an eyebrow at me between words.

It hit me during the lecture that I still didn't know his name. 'That's great.' I think. 'I have a date and I'm clueless as to who the person taking me is.' Then I realized I was going on a date on Saturday, in two short days. I start to freak out for the third time this day. I debate weather or not to tell my friends about it.

Eventually I decide it would be better if they didn't know, they would prolly laugh at me anyway. But since I need to tell somebody, and preferably someone who can help me pick something to wear. I pick the friend who's the best at keeping secrets, Alice. Of course she laughs at me, but it's a good natured laugh and she agrees to come over.

"You crazy girl, I thought I was the one who'd be the stalker." She tells me after I'm done telling her.

"Guess your wrong then. I can be crazy too." It's a lame attempt at sticking up for myself. She sees right through it.

"Go get some sugar in you, your energy level is down too twice that of a normal human being." She mocks my sugar intake. It's not like it really affects me that much. Contrary to popular believe, I've never had a sugar high, EVER. I just like sweet things people.

On the appointed night she comes and raids my closet. After about ten minutes she pulls out this little green dress that I know isn't mine. I don't know how she snuck it in. It's a very pretty wind of cloth for all it screams 'Not me!'

"Um, I'm not wearing that." I protest.

"Yes, you are." Alice insists.

"No, really, I'm not." I back away from her.

"Be that way then." She pouts. "Or, maybe, I should cash in a little." She says like she's talking to herself.

"Um, I'm scared." I've backed into my wall.

"As you should be. Put it on or I'm never being the Human Map again." She threatens, her eyes flashing. I gulp. I weigh my options and pick the dress. I'd fail all my classes if I can't find them.

Hesitantly I put it on. I hear a gasp from my bed where Alice is lounging. I turn nervously to her.

"Is it bad?" I ask. She smiles and shakes her head. "You're beautiful. Transformed from college chic to date worthy elegance. You clean up pretty good. I knew you had it in you." she says. I smile and spin around for her.

"Thank you. Now for hair and makeup." I let her do to me what she may. When she is done with me I swear I look like a movie star. My normally floppy flat brown hair is bouncy and my brown eyes stand out and don't look like mud, which is always a good thing. Alice steps back and admires her work, always the artist.

"You look great. Try and relax you'll be fine. He saw you hyperventilating right? You can't weird him out now just take it easy on the sugar." Alice coaches. "You're beautiful, hun." With that she starts to leave.

"Where are you going?" I demand in a quivering voice. I don't want her to leave me yet. I'm not ready.

"Hun, it's six fifty, he'll be here soon." She informs me. "Oh, and do learn his name for me, hun." She winks at me.

"Wait." I call.

"What, Huh?" she asks.

"I have something important to tell you. A thank you of sorts." She stares at me. "I can get you a date with Jasper?"

"What?!" She screeches. "How? Tell me!"

Now I just laugh at her. "At that café, a guy named Emmett works there, his girlfriend is Jasper's friend." I explain.

"Tomorrow, first thing, we're asking Emmett about it. Now I gotta go little lost girl." She sighs, she obviously wishes I'd told her sooner. I let her go.

I don't even notice time passing. I just sit and stare blankly at my wall, trying to stay calm, until he comes.

I hear a light knock at my door. It's him. I get up slowly and take a deep breath. I let him in.

"Hi," He smiles. "Nice place Bella." He says looking around.

"Yeah, I like it." I reply. Suddenly with him there I feel my nerves leave me.

"So you ready to go?" he asks

"Yeah." I answer, grabbing my purse and jacket. With that he takes my hand and we leave. He has nice warm hands. They feel right in mine.

"I hope you like Italian." he said. I just nod. I don't want to say anything in case my nerves aren't really gone. He smiles and my stomach flips in this really pleasant way. We went out the building and to the parking lot.

"Which one's yours?" I venture.

"The silver Volvo. So Bella, what's your colour?" he asks with a goofy little crooked smile. Now I have to laugh and I know my nerves really have left me.

"Orange." I say between giggles.

"Now why are you laughing." he pouts.

I laugh harder. "Wow, your cute." I giggle, saying that was easier than I ever thought it could be.

"Really, now that's nice of you. First nice thing you've said all night." he pretend pouts.

"Okay then, what's YOUR favorite colour?" I ask.

"Um, hmm, let's see. Blue." he answers.

"Complementary colours." I tell him.

"Oh, big words. Tell me, Bella, what's your major?"

"English, what about you? What do you study?" I playfully ask. By now we're in the pretty silver Volvo and on the road. I don't recognize where we're going, but somehow I don't really care.

"I'm studying to become an musician. I was taking a creative writing class when I, well, you ran into me the other day." He answers. "Well, we're here." I look out the window, it's a pizzeria.

"Pizza, you brought me for pizza. Should I be offended?"

"No, they have the best pizza in town and they serve other stuff too." he walks with me. It's a cozy little place and by, the looks of it, very popular. It's the kind of place that you can dress up or down for and still fit in. We get led to a table.

The evil beautiful boy that is my date pulls out my chair with a stupid grin, which is practically like screaming to the world "Hey, hey, look over here! This is a date! A DATE I TELL YOU!!!'

"Thanks." I murmur embarrassed. I put my jacket on the back of it and hold my purse in my lap. I don't want to put it on the back of my chair cause I saw a woman get her purse stolen that way once. She was too far away otherwise I would have said something. The man she was with noticed though. I'm not sure if she got it back but I don't want to have it happen to me.

"You're welcome my lady." he answers like a gentlemen from another time period. Wow, he is a geek, but I like it. He takes his own seat. "So, Bella, any family, pets, favorite way to travel?"

"How does the last thing have anything to do with the first two?" Is the only thing that comes to mind quickly.

"Answer my questions." And I laugh at the completely serious look on his face.

"Um, just parents, they're divorced, no siblings. I had a cat when I was little, I was black and I called it Black Kyo. I like to fly." I say.

"Why'd you call it Black Kyo?" he asks, completely into it, weirdo, adorable yes, but a weirdo.

"I was obsessed with manga when I was younger and that was the name of a guy in one of my favorite series, though that cat was orange, which was the reason for the black in Black Kyo." I explain almost afraid I'll confuse him.

"Okay, you just went from guy to cat, which was it?"

"Why are you so interested?" I demand, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Because it was important to you at one point in time, so I want to know about it." His answer makes me take a figurative step back. He didn't even hesitate to say something so, so reveling. I find myself admiring that.

"Well, um, in the story, Kyo was a character that could change into a cat, but only when he was hugged by the opposite gender." I explain.

The waitress takes this time to show up and ask our orders. I notice her looking at him and I immediately feel a pang of protective jealousy, and it doesn't even bother me. My geek, yes I used the possessive!, sure does get some female attention. I glance around and see another person staring at him. More jealousy. Like I said before, I was obsessed with this person, and can't be held completely responsible for the things I did. Okay, so maybe I can, but I could always plead insanity. We ordered pizza, and sodas. I couldn't wait to get that woman away from us, from him.

He seemed to notice my mood change. "What, do you know her?" he asks.

I pull myself out of my revere, feeling my face pull out of the scowl it had formed itself into. "Uh, no, she just, um, reminded me of someone I, uh, don't like." I lie, cause I wasn't about to tell him I was irrationally jealous of a waitress who dare to look at my date. 'She will not have him, he is mine!' My inner voice growls. I chose to ignore that.

Somehow he senses not to push it. "So um, what time do you have to be back?"

"Same time as you, whenever I want, that is if your not on any sports teams."

"No, I'm not."

"Okay then, same questions you asked me, plus, what do you like better chocolate or vanilla?" I throw at him, trying to shake my mood.

"I'm an only child, but I have a few cousins that I see all the time, I've only had fish because my parents wouldn't trust me with anything else. After three dead fish in a month, they stopped getting those too. And I love to fly too, my family lives scattered everywhere, so I fly a lot. And chocolate of course." He says in one breath.

"Good, how about white chocolate?"

"Oh that's not chocolate, it doesn't have cocoa."

"Wow, I think this might work after all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he pouts.

"Well, I refuse to date anyone who likes white chocolate, it's gross and shouldn't even have the honor of being referred to as chocolate."

"I completely agree." he smiles, his attention so completely focused on me that he doesn't even notice the waitress come back with our drinks. She stands there for a heartbeat, just looking at him before she leaves and I feel elated. I smile back at him.

We ask trivial questions for the rest of the evening. In the restaurant I find out that he: likes almost any kind of music, except heavy metal, loves eating soup with forks, absolutely hates chopsticks as he can't use them, he's terribly clumsy, he's only been out of the country once, he went on cruise, he doesn't have many cousins, but they live everywhere, he likes water more than fire, and he's fond of cold places. When I touch his hand reaching for the pepper it's cold, but still feels good. My heart flips.

On the way home I discover that he: went through four majors before he found music, so he lied a bit in our earlier conversation and is actually a year older than me, he still considers himself a junior though cause he's graduating next year, like dark chocolate, loves fruit loops and consequently toucans, hates the name Igor and everything possibly associated with it, including that famous war dude in history, and Vikings, he's Italian and Sweetish, and he loves the movie George of the Jungle, because of the whole toucan thing. Overall it was a very informative date.

"Um so, good night." he says. We're standing in the hallway outside my door and I'm fiddling with my keys cause I really don't want to say goodnight and I want him to kiss me and I want to know his name but also, I don't. Somehow, during the course of the night, as I was trying to come up with a reasonable way to ask without sounding insane, I got it into my head that if I knew his name the magic would die. Sure I could know all those other, almost useless things; but not his name.

"Yeah, goodnight," I say, but I don't really move. He turns around and takes a step. I turn around and unlock my door, disappointed. Then I hear his voice.

"One more question." He says, a hint of desperation in his wonderful voice. I don't turn back around.

"Yeah." I answer.

"Would it be terribly inappropriate of me to kiss you?" he asks. I just stand there for a second, then I come to my senses and turn around. I shake my head, trying not to seem to eager. I'm too afraid to actually speak least I say something to mess this up. We were already standing pretty close together, he must have come closer when I was turned around, but now the distance is closing farther and all I can think is, 'Why is it taking so long?' Finally, it seems, his mouth is gently pressing against mine. All of a sudden I know I can't breathe, but I don't care as long as he keeps kissing me.

Now I'd been kissed before, but never like this. It starts out gentle but it doesn't stay that way for long. Before I even realize it we're pressed up against my door and his tongue is exploring my mouth. Somehow, there is nothing rude about this invasion, unlike some other kisses I've had. I can almost hear something click in the back of my mind. It's him, I don't want to kiss anybody but him. It's too soon to actually say it but I know, I know that I love him. This boy that I've only met a few times, that I just spent hours talking and laughing with. This person whose seen me go crazy and can make me relax just by being there. This man that I have no name for.

I hadn't ever believed in spontaneous love, like the kind in fairy tales and romance novels. But now, I did, or, I gave it some more credibility than I ever did before. It wasn't exactly like that cliche love, but it was close enough.

With no words or explanations, we're in my room, on my bed. The pretty wind of green dress is being unwound from my body and the collared shirt is being tugged off of him. We're lost in each other and I would have it no other way. Only once do we speak.

"I've never done this on a first date. I don't want you to do something you'll regret." he whispers, too out of breath to manage anything else. I look into his beautiful green eyes and see nothing but sincerity, honesty.

"You said yourself, it's our second date." I answer just as breathless, that's all the encouragement he needs. He kisses me again.

When we're done and laying naked in each others arms, I finally realize my own stupidity. It may be fast and we may be young, but I love him, knowing or not knowing his name won't change that, so I tell him so. "Hey, listen I have something I wanna say." He just turns his full attention to my words, rousing himself from whatever rest he was getting. "This is gonna sound really weird and stupid and kinda trampish, but, um, I don't actually know your, um, I don't know your name." I say it as fast as I can.

"What? Really?" he asks incredulously. I just nod against his chest, to chicken to look him in the eye. "How, you said we, wait. You're right, I never actually told you. I'm sorry Bella, that day on the bench I wasn't in the best of moods and at the coffee shop when you said we knew each other I didn't actually think of if you knew my name or not. I'm sorry, that was really rude of me." he rambles.

Now it's my turn to stare incredulously. He was actually taking the blame? "No, no, I should have asked, I'm sorry." I don't want him to think it was his fault when it wasn't.

"If you insist on taking the blame, then we have to agree to disagree, because I think it's my fault. But more importantly, I think you should know my name, rather than whose fault it was that you don't." he pulls my face up to his and kisses my lips, then trails kisses up to my ear. "My name is Edward, Edward Cullen." he pulls away until he's looking into my eyes. "But people sometimes call me Sparks" he smiles and kisses me again.

"Why Sparks?" is the only sane thing that comes to mind, so it's what I say. Edward, I've always liked that name. Edward. My face forms a smile and I don't stop it.

"Long story short, I blew up." he answers.

"I think I'll want to hear the long story sometime, Edward." He kisses me before I can put my head on his chest again.

"Say it again." Edward begs.

"Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward. I chant. He stops me by capturing my lips. When he lets me go, way too soon, I put my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat. It's a while before I say it. "I think, I think I love you." I whisper half wishing he won't hear, half needing him too.

"I completely agree." Edward whispers and I laugh against him.

Edward stays with me that night. We sleep, we talk, we love.

Of course we'll have problems, have had them, but we work through them, because we are in love.

~Bella Cullen~


End file.
